Foldable box.



R. R. RICHARDSON FOLDABLE BOX. APPLICATION FILED DEC-20, I9l5.

Patented May 9,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- R. R. RICHARDSON.

FOLDABLE BOX. APPLICATION FILED DEC-20, I915- Patented May 9,1916.

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2 SHEETSSHEET 2- tively, of Fig. 4. V

from which a box embodyin UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RALPH R. RICHARDSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR. TO CHICAGO CARTON COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FOLDABLE BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1916.

Application filed December 20, 1915. Serial No. 67,717.

thereof, reference being had to the accomand to the reference panying drawings,

which form a characters marked thereon, part of this specification.

This invention relates to. folda-ble boxes, and more particularly to that type of such boxes which are set up orformed from flat blanks made from sheet material, such as paper-board, fiberboard, or the like.

Among the objects of my invention is to improve the construction of boxes of the kind referred to, and to provide in particular a foldable box made from relatively stifi and rigid paper or fiber-board, and which box may be effectively used as a shipping container for articles of wearing apparel, such as pairs of shoes and the like.

A further object of my invention is to so improve the construction of the box that, when set up or formed from the flat blank, the walls of the box will be held rigidly in place and be prevented from displacement by the weight or shifting of the articles packed therein, as well as being collapsed by the exterior strains to which the box is subjected in rough handling and during transportation of the same.

.The invention also relates to the blank from which my box is formed.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a cut and scored blank the features of myinvention is formed; Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of the box set up from the blank shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3; and Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views taken on lines ,5-5 and 66, respec- Referring to th drawings, illustrating in detail one preferred form of foldable box embodying the features of my invention, 10,

in Fig. 1, indicates infl'at form a cut and scored blank from which my box is formed. Said blank 10 is preferably made from a sheet of relatively stiff and rigid sheet material, such as fiber-board, paper -board, or the like. As shown in Fig. 1, said blank 10 1s substantially rectilinear in form, and is dlvlded transversely by a plurality of parallelscore or fold lines 11, 12, and 13 into four connected, substantially similar sect1ons l4, 15, 16, and 17, the latter constitutmg, in the order named, the top wall or lid or cover of the box and the rear, bottom, and front walls thereof, when the box is set up for use. The intermediate section 15 is provlded at each end thereof with, an integral end extension 18, 18, the latter being in length equal to the combined width of the connected sections 14, 15, and 16. The end portions 11*, 12 of the score or fold lines 11, 12 are continued through each end extenmediate flap 20 is divided from the section 15 by a score or fold line 22, 22, the latter being arranged substantially at right angles to and intersecting said score or fold lines 11, 12. The flaps 19, 21 are each equal in length to the width of the sections 14, 16, to which they are oppositely disposed, and said flaps 19, 21 are separated from said sections 14, 16 by slits or lines of severance 23, 24, the inner ends of which terminate in said score or fold lines 11,12, as shown in Fig. 1. The end section 17 is provided at each end thereof with an end extension forming a flap 25, 25, the latter being divided from said section 17 by a score or fold line 26, 26. Said fold lines 26, 26 are parallel to each other and arranged substantially at right angles to and intersecting the fold line 13. Said end flaps 25, 25 are each equal in length to the width of the opposed flaps 21, 21, and are divided therefrom by slits or lines of severance 27, 27 in alinement with the score line 13 and extending at their inner ends into said slits 24, 24. The opposite end section 14 is provided with an integral extension forming a flap 28, which is divided from said section by a score or fold line 29. As illustrated, the base of said flap 28 has the same length as the section 14 to which it is joined, and the side edges of said flap 28 converge toward each other, so as to give a tapered form thereto. The free end of said tapered flap 28 is provided with an integral locking member or head 30 adapted to be folded into a position at sub- 33 on each side of said neck. The section 16 is provided intermediate its ends and along the fold line 13 with a locking slot or notch 34 adapted to receive said locking tongue or head 30, when the box is set. up and in use. Each end flap 20, 20 is provided withm its margin with an arc-shaped lockmg tongue 35, 35 adapted to be inserted into a locking notch or slot 36, 36 formed in said end flap 25, 25, when said box is set up.

- In Fig. 3, the box is indicated by 37, and the same is set up from the fiat blank 10 shown in Fig. l in substantially the following manner. The sections 15, 16, and 17 are folded on said score or fold lines12 and 13 in the proper manner and order'so that the section 16 will form the bottom wall of the box; the section 15, one side or the rear wall of the box; and the section 17, the other side or front wall of the box. Whenthe parts are then folded, the section 14 extends above the side or rear wall 15 and in a position to be swung downward on the fold line 11 to form the top wall or lid or cover for said box. The end flaps 20, 20 on the rear wall 15 are swung inward on the score or fold lines 22, 22 into positions extending between said front and rear walls 15, 17 and closing the ends of the box. The other end flaps 25, 25 at the ends of the front wall 17 are swung inward into positions extending between said front and rear walls and being overlapped by said outermost end flaps 20, 20. The end edge 38, 38 of each end flap 25 abuts throughout its length against the inner face of the rear wall 15, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The flaps 20, 25 at the ends of the box being overlapped, the box is provided in effect with double end walls. In

folding said end flaps 20, 20 into the positions referred to, the upper and lower flaps 19, 21, respectively, ofsaid end flaps 20 are folded toward each other on the score or 7 fold lines 11", l2 so as to extend into the box from the upper and lower margins of said outermost end flaps20, 20. The lower flap 21 extends into the box beneath the lower edge 39 of the associated innermost end flap 25, 25, and said lower edge 39 bears downward on said lower flap, as shown in Fig. 4. Said lower flaps 21, 21

- overlap the bottom wall 16, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, and have their inner free end edges 40, 40 abutting. Said lower flaps 21,

21 extend between the front and rear walls tending flaps 21, 21.

of the box and have their lateral or side edges 41, 41 abutting against the inner faces of said walls. The upper flaps 19, '19 exbear upward against the under sides of said upper flaps 19, 19, as shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 6, said upper flaps 19, 19

extend between the front and rear walls of. I

the box, and the side edges 43, 43 of said upper flaps abut against the inner faces of said walls. After the parts are in the positions above referred to, the cover or lid 14 is swung downward upon and over the up The tapered flap 28 is per flaps 19, 19.

or fold line 29 into a folded on its score position overlapping the outer or exterior,

face of the frontjwall 17 and the locking head or tongue 30 on said tapered'flap is bent into a position substantially at right angles to the said front wall 17 and in serted into and through the lockingslot 34 at the base of said front wall. As illustrated in Fig. 3, said locking head 30 extends into the box and lies between the bottom wall 16 and the lower, inwardly ex- Said locking slot 34 being in length less than the extreme width of said locking head 30, the shoulders 33, 33

on the latter extend beyond the ends of said slot and prevent the locking head from being easily withdrawn therefrom. Before the lid or cover 14 is closed and locked in position, the overlapping end flaps 20, 25 are secured or locked together by inserting the arc-shaped locking tongues 35 into and through the locking slots 36, 36. (See Figs. 1 and 4.)

The foldable box 37 herein described and shown is particularly designed'for use in shipping or transporting articles of wearing apparel, suchas a pair of shoes or the like, although it is to be of course understood that said box may be used for any purpose desired, and I do not'wish to'restrict the 'box to the character of service referred to, nor to transporting the specific articles of wearing apparel mentioned, as other articles may be packed in the box; Said box 37 being made of relatively stifi material, such as fiberboard, paper-board, or the like, insures that the walls of the box possess the desired degree of rigidity and strength as to support (without bending or bulging) the article or articles packed therein, as well as be strong enough to withstand the usual strains exerted on the box in rough handling and dur-' ing transportation of the same. Inasmuch as the end edges 38, 38 of the innermost end flaps 25, 25 abut against the inner surface of the rear wall 15, and the side edges 41, 43 of the upper and lower flaps 19, 21, respec tively, bear against the inner surfaces of the front and rear walls of the box, said parts serve to. rigidly hold and space apart the front and rear box walls, and, further, tend to brace and prevent said walls from being collapsed or displaced inward, when an inwardly directed pressure is applied against the outside of the box. Inasmuch as the end edges 4-0, 40 of the lower flaps 21, 21 meet and abut, said flaps serve to hold the end flaps or walls 20, 25 in their properly spaced positions, and act to prevent said end walls from being collapsed inward in the rough handling of the packed box during shipment. When the box 37 is closed, the lid or cover 14 overlaps and holds the upper, inwardly extending flaps 19, 19 in their positions extending between and abutting against said frontand rear walls. The fact that the locking tongue or head 30 engages and extends substantially at right angles to the front wall 17, insures rigid locking of the cover 14; in its closed position, and holds the cover from movement in either direction during the transportation of the packed box. By reason of the arrangement of the locking .head 30, the cover 14, when locked in its closed position, is prevented from being opened by an upward pull thereon.

A box made as above described and shown, in addition to being light in weight, is rigid and braced throughout, and is well adapted as a shipping container for the articles referred to, because of the fact that, when the box is packed and locked, the parts will hold their positions during transportation.

Although I have shown and described herein in detail one preferred form of foldable box embodying the features of my invention, yet it is to be understood that the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated may be variously changed and modified Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited and confined to the exact details of construction and arrangement of parts shown, except as pointed out in the annexed claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A. foldable box, comprising connected top, bottom, front, and rear walls, each of said front and rear walls being provided with end flaps adapted to overlap each other and form the end walls of said box, the outermost of each of the overlapping end 'rear walls, and said top wall having hinged connection with said rear wall and being provided with a foldable flap adapted to overlap said front wall, when the top wall is closed, and said foldable flap being provided with a locking tongue adapted to be folded into a position substantially at right angles to said front wall and be inserted into said box through a locking slot formed in said front wall adjacent said bottom wall.

2. A blank for a foldable box made from a sheet of sheet material, and divided transversely by a plurality of parallel score or fold lines into four connected sections forming the top, bottom, front and rear Walls of the box, the section forming the rear wall of the box being provided with integral extensions on each end thereof, each end extension being divided by score or fold lines into three connected flaps, the intermediate one I the section forming the front wall being provided with integral end extensions divided from the blank by slits or lines of severance and being overlapped by the end flaps on the rear wall when said box is set up, and the section forming the top wall or cover of the box being provided with an integral extension forming a foldable flap adapted to overlap the front wall when the box is set up and the cover is closed, and said last named flap being provided with a looking head or tongue adapted to be bent into a position substantially at right angles to said flap and be inserted in a locln'ng slot formed in said front. wall on the score or fold line dividing said sections forming the front and bottom walls of thebox.

In testimony that I claim-the forego ng as my invention I alfix my signature 1n the presence of two witnesses, this 8th day of December, A. D. 1915.

RALPH R. RIG

DSON. 

